The Congress party has been shocked by a new wave of resignations from prominent leaders throughout the country. There is already widespread anticipation that Congress veteran Kamal Nath would join the BJP. The departure of Congress leaders coincides with allegations of internal dissatisfaction with the party's leadership and agenda. The timing of these resignations could not be worse for the Congress party, which is preparing to confront the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. With each resignation, the party not only loses experienced leaders, but also risks jeopardising its electoral prospects and undermining its organisational structure in critical areas.
Here's the list of former Congress Chief Ministers who left the party:
1. Kiran Kumar Reddy
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the BJP in April 2023, a month after resigning from the Congress. Reddy, the last Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, passionately opposed the state's bifurcation and resigned from the Congress in 2014 to protest the then-UPA government's decision to split Andhra Pradesh and create Telangana.
2. Captain Amarinder Singh
Captain Amarinder Singh, the ex-Chief Minister of Punjab, joined the BJP in September 2022, following the merger of his party, the Punjab Lok Congress. Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from Congress in November 2021 and formed his own party. He resigned as Punjab Chief Minister in September 2021, following months of infighting with then-Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chairman Navjot Singh Sidhu.
3. SM Krishna
In March 2017, SM Krishna, the former Karnataka Chief Minister, left the Congress and joined the BJP in New Delhi. He was Chief Minister from October 1999 until May 2004. SM Krishna was also the Maharashtra Governor from December 2004 to March 2008.
4. Digambar Kamat
Digambar Kamat, the former Chief Minister of Goa, re-joined the BJP in September 2022. In 1994, he left the Congress and joined the BJP. He rejoined the Congress in 2005 and played a significant role in overthrowing the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP administration in the state. Kamat served as Chief Minister from 2007 until 2012.
5. Vijay Bahuguna
In May 2016, Vijay Bahuguna, the former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, joined the BJP alongside eight former MLAs from the state. He resigned in January 2014, after being requested by Congress to do so. Bahuguna was Uttarakhand's Chief Minister from March 2012 to January 2014.
6. Pema Khandu
Pema Khandu joined the BJP in December 2016, together with 32 MLAs from the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA). The Khandu government has been in office since July of 2016. Initially, the Congress headed the administration, but Khandu and virtually all of the party's lawmakers switched to the PPA in September 2016, allowing him to keep control.
7. Ashok Chavan
Ashok Chavan, a renowned Congress legislator and son of former Chief Minister SB Chavan, has joined the BJP. He was regarded as a political heavyweight with a sizable following in Maharashtra's Nanded district. Chavan served as Maharashtra's Chief Minister from December 2008 until November 2010. He became Chief Minister following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and served for nearly two years before retiring.
8. Narayan Dutt Tiwari
Former Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari joined the BJP in January 2017, along with his son Rohit Shekhar. Tiwari was the third Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2002 to 2007, and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh three times between 1976 and 1989.
9. Ravi Naik
Former Goa chief minister Ravi Naik tendered his resignation from the state Assembly earlier in 2021. He was accompanied by his two sons, who joined the ruling BJP before him.
10. Ghulam Nabi Azad
Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and a Congress veteran, resigned from the party's main membership in August 2022 after writing a harsh letter denouncing Rahul Gandhi. In a five-page communication to party interim president Sonia Gandhi, Azad stated that the Congress party had reached a 'no return' stage. Azad claimed that the issue had only become worse following the 2019 elections, when Rahul Gandhi resigned in a rage, disrespecting all senior party officials who had devoted their life for the party.